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Original poster

Locksmith quoted £50 and charged £351.60

293 replies

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:06

I got locked out of my new flat today. My autistic son opened the door and made a run for it, I ran out after him and the door shut behind me.

My landlady couldn't find her copy of the key (she has dozens of keys due to her actual job - but she has some pretty serious health problems, so I felt terrible bothering her with it in the first place)

I looked online and found a locksmith company that will come and pick the lock and let you in for £50. Happy days. No pressure on my landlady. She was happy for me to proceed and said ofc the £50 would come off my rent.

Locksmith came and had a 2 second fiddle with the lock and said he couldn't pick that type of lock (standard yale) so he'd have to drill through and replace the lock otherwise I wasn't getting in the flat. I had my 3 kids with me.

He wanted payment there and then and said I'd have to recoup the £ from my Landlady. I asked for the total £351.60

I had no choice but to pay it.

I feel a bit conned. Is this the norm? To advertise a service at a reasonable price and then turn up and quadruple it?

My bank account is pretty much empty now and whilst I'm sure my Landlady will get the money to me somehow, she has said as much and she's a really nice person so wouldn't not help me, it all feels pretty shit.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
tailinthejam · 02/05/2023 19:05

You lot are telling me that a locksmith can't pick a standard Yale lock? Come off it. They could do that standing on their head with one eye shut. He was taking the absolute piss.

I got locked out once, the locksmith came out, asked me to look the other way for a moment, and he was in. Took him about 3 seconds.

Atticus999 · 02/05/2023 19:06

Your landlady is extremely generous !!!

Greentime101 · 02/05/2023 19:07

I locked myself out last year & a lovely local locksmith came and opened the door with a slip of plastic! Charged me £60

He then went onto explain that there are so many dodgy locksmiths that pretend they have to drill out the lock & replace it charging £350 plus!

NewNovember · 02/05/2023 19:08

Thank goodness you paid by visa. Raise a dispute and make sure you say he did the wirk without agreeing the extra charge send the other reviews too. Be very clearly you only agreed to pay £50 then were intimidated into paying the rest.

LuluBlakey1 · 02/05/2023 19:09

It is another example of the public being ripped off by a service provider. There is no way a yale lock and fitting comes to more than £100. Even if it was £150 he's ripping you off by £200. But you are in a situation where you are easily exploited and that's what they rely on.
Brexit Britain- every man for himself.

FrippEnos · 02/05/2023 19:10

For those praising the LL.
She was supposed to be holding a spare key which she has mislaid.

Yes she sounds decent but if she hadn't mislaid the key the locksmith wouldn't have been required.

just FYI my ex LL charged £30 to come out with the spare as have several agencies.

WishIwasElsa · 02/05/2023 19:11

@Squeezed1

You could try trading standards, sometimes they get companies to provide a refund. You've nothing to lose by trying. People who do things like this are scum

YouCould · 02/05/2023 19:11

Oh my goodness those reviews!!!!!! Please report them to action fraud and HMRC for VAT fraud FORM HERE

Don't suppose you have photos of him from a ring doorbell?

Stopthatknocking · 02/05/2023 19:12

He charged you £249 for drilling the lock and £49 for labour? What is drilling the lock if not labour?

But I can understand why you paid, with a child with autism you just need to get it sorted and calm the situation.
I hope you can get some of this refunded.
Good luck.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 02/05/2023 19:12

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:46

I didn't think landlords were even allowed to hold a spare key!

Why would they not be?

Theyre not allowed to just let themselves in with it but no rules on holding it. Most do.

tenants are entitled to change the lock if they choose, and do not have to give a copy of the key to the LL, but they must replace the original lock when they leave.

GhostRiddle · 02/05/2023 19:12

Get a few keys cut
So that you will not be in the same situation again

I think some house & contents insurance covers lost keys too

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 19:12

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:57

Well here we are

I've found them

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/mylondonlocksmiths.co.uk

Terrible reviews. I'm going to try and claim the money back.

Wowza!!!

I'd email Joe Lycett Got Your Back (if he is still doing them).

JulianCasa · 02/05/2023 19:12

Because they can’t pick your lock if it’s a Yale lock. So they have to break it completely and replace it which costs a lot more £££. The newer locks on composite doors can be picked more easily, they aren’t as secure.
This exact thing happened to us about 3 years ago. It cost £250 then but that’s the last 3 years for you.

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 19:12

I'm just on hold to my bank, will update shortly

OP posts:
Stratusinium · 02/05/2023 19:13

JudgeRudy · 02/05/2023 18:43

No, it wouldn't ordinarily be the case that the landlord would supply a spare key if you had lost yours or didn't have it with you. This m8ght be something thos particular landlord can do but it's definitely not fhe norm.

Show quote history

It is certainly the norm with agencies and many agencies and landlords have a standard fee for supplying a replacement key (and should certainly have copies of the keys themselves).

Qilin · 02/05/2023 19:16

Heroicallyfound · 02/05/2023 18:11

Annoying, but I don’t understand why you had no choice but to pay it? It’s inconvenient being locked out with kids but you could take them to the park while you call round for another locksmith?

Have you managed to get a lock that doesn’t lock itself now?

OP would still have had to pay the call out fee of 50.
Then another call out fee and potential lock replacement to another company as well. May well have ended up being more expensive.

Vegetus · 02/05/2023 19:18

JulianCasa · 02/05/2023 19:12

Because they can’t pick your lock if it’s a Yale lock. So they have to break it completely and replace it which costs a lot more £££. The newer locks on composite doors can be picked more easily, they aren’t as secure.
This exact thing happened to us about 3 years ago. It cost £250 then but that’s the last 3 years for you.

This Yale lock is the most basic thing a locksmith will ever come across. It's not difficult for anyone with an ounce of knowledge.

Qilin · 02/05/2023 19:19

It does seem expensive for what was needed. That and the dodgy reviews - may be worth following up and/or getting landlady too as well.

HeckyPeck · 02/05/2023 19:19

FrippEnos · 02/05/2023 19:10

For those praising the LL.
She was supposed to be holding a spare key which she has mislaid.

Yes she sounds decent but if she hadn't mislaid the key the locksmith wouldn't have been required.

just FYI my ex LL charged £30 to come out with the spare as have several agencies.

That's exactly what I was thinking!

Frabbits · 02/05/2023 19:20

Sounds like a scam.

Yale locks are not hard to pick. I got a lockpicking set for Christmas and one of the dummy locks is a Yale, I learnt to pick it in about 30 minutes.

YouCould · 02/05/2023 19:20

OP, Make sure you make it clear to your bank that you did not agree to the price beforehand and that you felt intimidated when you paid. There is law against charging crazy high prices for things so you really need to emphasize that you didn't agree to it and that you've reported it to Action fraud.

I'm not an expert in this so it would be good to get others views on it.

pleasehelpwi3 · 02/05/2023 19:21

Did you pay by credit card? Do a chargeback if so.

Dibbydoos · 02/05/2023 19:21

Glad your LL is being so reasonable, OP.

The locking might be £50 to pick tge lock, drilling and replacing barrels is def a big add on cost. But that price is pretty pricey imo. Did they know your LL was paying?
She can write it off against her outfits soits not a full £350 quid to her, but still what a rip off. I'd have expected £150 if I'm honest.

Maybe we should all retrain as locksmiths. £350 for a 20mins job, lol!!

GasPanic · 02/05/2023 19:23

JulianCasa · 02/05/2023 19:12

Because they can’t pick your lock if it’s a Yale lock. So they have to break it completely and replace it which costs a lot more £££. The newer locks on composite doors can be picked more easily, they aren’t as secure.
This exact thing happened to us about 3 years ago. It cost £250 then but that’s the last 3 years for you.

Only if you get the crap ones.

I've got Ultion and ATS on my composite doors. They can be picked (you can see people do it on youtube) but its incredibly difficult, much more difficult than a yale. I've been warned that if I lock myself out it's going to be a serious job to get in because I haven't got thumbturns on them either.

First thing I did after fitting them was lodge an emergency key with a close relative.

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